Hosea 5-6

New International Version

Judgment Against Israel

5 “Hear this, you priests!
    Pay attention, you Israelites!
Listen, royal house!
    This judgment^(A) is against you:
You have been a snare^(B) at Mizpah,
    a net^(C) spread out on Tabor.
²The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.^(D)
    I will discipline all of them.^(E)
³I know all about Ephraim;
    Israel is not hidden^(F) from me.
Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution;
    Israel is corrupt.^(G)

⁴“Their deeds do not permit them
    to return^(H) to their God.
A spirit of prostitution^(I) is in their heart;
    they do not acknowledge^(J) the Lord.
⁵Israel’s arrogance testifies^(K) against them;
    the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble^(L) in their sin;
    Judah also stumbles with them.^(M)
⁶When they go with their flocks and herds
    to seek the Lord,^(N)
they will not find him;
    he has withdrawn^(O) himself from them.
⁷They are unfaithful^(P) to the Lord;
    they give birth to illegitimate^(Q) children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,^(R)
    he will devour^[a]^(S) their fields.

⁸“Sound the trumpet^(T) in Gibeah,^(U)
    the horn in Ramah.^(V)
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven^[b];^(W)
    lead on, Benjamin.
⁹Ephraim will be laid waste^(X)
    on the day of reckoning.^(Y)
Among the tribes of Israel
    I proclaim what is certain.^(Z)
¹⁰Judah’s leaders are like those
    who move boundary stones.^(AA)
I will pour out my wrath^(AB) on them
    like a flood of water.
¹¹Ephraim is oppressed,
    trampled in judgment,
    intent on pursuing idols.^[c]^(AC)
¹²I am like a moth^(AD) to Ephraim,
    like rot^(AE) to the people of Judah.

¹³“When Ephraim^(AF) saw his sickness,
    and Judah his sores,
then Ephraim turned to Assyria,^(AG)
    and sent to the great king for help.^(AH)
But he is not able to cure^(AI) you,
    not able to heal your sores.^(AJ)
¹⁴For I will be like a lion^(AK) to Ephraim,
    like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces^(AL) and go away;
    I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.^(AM)
¹⁵Then I will return to my lair^(AN)
    until they have borne their guilt^(AO)
    and seek my face^(AP)—
in their misery^(AQ)
    they will earnestly seek me.^(AR)”

Israel Unrepentant

6 “Come, let us return^(AS) to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces^(AT)
    but he will heal us;^(AU)
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.^(AV)
²After two days he will revive us;^(AW)
    on the third day^(AX) he will restore^(AY) us,
    that we may live in his presence.
³Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,^(AZ)
    like the spring rains that water the earth.^(BA)”

⁴“What can I do with you, Ephraim?^(BB)
    What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears.^(BC)
⁵Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
    I killed you with the words of my mouth^(BD)—
    then my judgments go forth like the sun.^[d]^(BE)
⁶For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^(BF)
    and acknowledgment^(BG) of God rather than burnt offerings.^(BH)
⁷As at Adam,^[e] they have broken the covenant;^(BI)
    they were unfaithful^(BJ) to me there.
⁸Gilead is a city of evildoers,^(BK)
    stained with footprints of blood.
⁹As marauders lie in ambush for a victim,^(BL)
    so do bands of priests;
they murder^(BM) on the road to Shechem,
    carrying out their wicked schemes.^(BN)
¹⁰I have seen a horrible^(BO) thing in Israel:
    There Ephraim is given to prostitution,
    Israel is defiled.^(BP)

¹¹“Also for you, Judah,
a harvest^(BQ) is appointed.

“Whenever I would restore the fortunes^(BR) of my people,

Footnotes

Hosea 5:7 Or Now their New Moon feasts / will devour them and
Hosea 5:8 Beth Aven means house of wickedness (a derogatory name for Bethel, which means house of God).
Hosea 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Hosea 6:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
Hosea 6:7 Or Like Adam; or Like human beings